Aircraft components have, to date, been joined by various techniques, including forming flanges on one or both components such that a nut and bolt may be used as a fastener. Such flanges are commonly provided on ribs within the wing-box of an aircraft to facilitate joining of the ribs to the wing skin. Use of such flanges adds unwanted weight to the aircraft.
Structures on aircraft are subjected, in use, to various forces. As a result of the use of flanges for joining components, forces may not act through the body of a component, but rather be off-set, and thus not fully utilise the inherent strength of the material forming a component.
The shape and configuration of aircraft components and structures may be such that the accessibility of some parts of the components forming the structure may be restricted. The use of nuts and bolts joining flanges of respective components of the prior art may increase assembly time and may require a degree of accessibility that constricts the design of the components.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus which enables two aircraft components to be joined together which avoids or mitigates one or more disadvantages associated with the above described prior art.